newbie
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of newbie
An Americanism first recorded in 1965–70; perhaps newb(orn) + -ie
Explanation
Newbie is a nickname for someone who is new to something. The new guy on a team or job is a newbie. Someone who just started using the internet is a newbie. Newbies are just starting out. This word — which has new right in it — is a slangy term for someone just starting an activity. A person on their first day at a job is a newbie. A first-time soccer player is a newbie. Freshmen are newbies. The opposite of a newbie is a veteran. Because newbies are inexperienced, they have a lot to learn. Newbies are also called rookies.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many years ago, when I was a newbie newspaper reporter in the Boston Globe’s Washington bureau, one of my colleagues, Tom Oliphant, gave me a tip that I’ve cherished ever since.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
As a mahjong newbie, I was there to observe seasoned players.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
In 2022, the political newbie won Kathmandu's mayoral race by a landslide as an independent candidate, triumphing over parties which had dominated elections for decades.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
The newbie nominee won the trophy out of the gate for his portrayal of twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s juke joint-and-vampires movie “Sinners.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
As much as I don’t like being the newbie, I don’t like being the salty sea dog either.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
E-motos aren’t street-legal, but they are drawing newbies to an industry thirsty for young riders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
For Mukherjea, the lesson is to buy blue chip Indian names that domestic newbies find boring and global investors have sidelined to chase AI stocks elsewhere.
From Barron's ● Nov. 20, 2025
Their experience also lets them notice AI mistakes newbies might miss.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025
We wanted to be able to also lean into the differences, the good and bad, that come with tradition versus the newbies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
"Y'all are the fanciest newbies I ever met," Coach said.
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
